Jeff McCabe

Jeffrey T. McCabe was born in December of 1956 and raised about 50 miles west of Chicago, Illinois. His family background includes Irish ancestry, a heritage that later influenced his involvement in whiskey. His paternal grandfather, Leo McCabe, was a first-generation Irish American, and stories of the family’s Irish roots formed part of McCabe’s upbringing. In 1974, McCabe applied to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he ultimately earned a Bachelor of Science degree in English. Following his education, he served as a Navy helicopter pilot before entering the corporate business world. In June of 1994, McCabe began a senior executive career at American Express, eventually serving as Senior Vice President and General Manager in its corporate services business. His responsibilities involved large corporate customers and business travel services, with professional assignments extending into Europe and Asia. His work also involved offices in Atlanta, where his family maintained a home during his tenure there. He remained with American Express until March 2003, completing nearly nine years with the company.

McCabe’s departure from American Express marked an important change in his professional and family life. Following the events of September 11, 2001, coupled with his son Ian’s preparation for high school, the family determined to pursue the more laid-back lifestyle that they found in Brown County, Indiana. The move to Indiana allowed McCabe to redirect his family life as well as his professional activities while remaining involved in corporate boards and investment opportunities.

In Nashville (Indiana), McCabe became involved in local civic and business activities. He served as chairman of the Brown County Community Foundation from 2005 to 2011 and participated in several commercial real estate development opportunities. He also served on the board of Concur Technologies, a corporate travel and expense management company, from 2005 to 2014. These activities maintained his connections to the business community while introducing him to the commercial possibilities of Nashville, a town known for its artists, visitors, restaurants, and distinctive southern Indiana setting.

His introduction to the hospitality business came through a partnership with local businessman Ed Ryan. The two had become acquainted through Ryan’s brokerage business and they subsequently began investing as partners in commercial properties in southern Indiana. During the financial crisis of 2008, they pursued the purchase of a restaurant property associated with the historic Little Brown Jug family eatery which had been in business since 1969. The duo ultimately acquired the property and joined forces with homebrewer Tim O’Bryan to establish a small brewing and restaurant enterprise at the site.

Then, in 2009, the partners opened Big Woods Brewing Company in downtown Nashville. The original establishment occupied approximately 800 square feet and operated with a small brewing system capable of producing half-barrel batches. Brewing took place during the early part of the week, with the restaurant opening to customers later in the week. Demand quickly exceeded the capacity of the original operation, leading to additional restaurant space and expanded brewing activities. In 2012 the partners converted a former bowling alley into a dedicated brewery for Quaff ON! Brewing Company. This separation of commercial brewing from the original restaurant provided additional production capacity and supported the expansion of the Big Woods restaurant group. The combined operations developed into an integrated hospitality enterprise, with McCabe taking a leading role in corporate strategy and business development. The growth of the brewery also provided the partners with experience in beverage production, distribution, and brand development before their entry into distilled spirits.

In 2014, Indiana adopted legislation which permitted legal craft distilling, unveiling another opportunity for the partners. The following year, Hard Truth Distilling Company began producing spirits in the upper rooms of Big Woods Pizza Company, using a small four-barrel system. The operation initially concentrated on spirits that could reach consumers without extended barrel aging, while the distilling team developed recipes and prepared for eventual whiskey production. Bryan Smith assumed responsibility for distilling operations, allowing McCabe and his fellow founders to concentrate on the company's broader commercial development.

By 2017, Hard Truth had outgrown its original quarters, and construction began on a substantially larger distillery complex approximately one mile outside downtown Nashville, Indiana. The partners developed a wooded 325-acre property into Hard Truth Hills, combining manufacturing, hospitality, entertainment, and tourism. The tours and tastings center opened near the end of 2017, followed by the restaurant in 2018. That autumn, distilling operations moved into an 18,000-square-foot production facility equipped with machinery from Vendome Copper & Brass Works. The destination attracted approximately 267,000 visitors during its first year of operation.

By that point, McCabe was finally able to place whiskey at the center of his broader hospitality goals. While Hard Truth developed its own maturing whiskey inventory, the company introduced Sipes’ Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a sourced spirit that helped establish presence in the bourbon market. The product honored the distilling history of Brown County and preceded the release of Hard Truth’s own sweet mash whiskey. That same year, the company introduced McCabe’s Irish Whiskey, a sourced Irish whiskey selected to celebrate McCabe’s family heritage and honor his late father, Tom McCabe. The project also involved his children, Megan O’Bryan and Ian McCabe, both of whom worked in the family business.